Blocking autoplay videos on desktop and mobile browsers

Under Settings > Cookies and Site Permissions > Media Autoplay > Control if audio and video automatically play on sites, the dropdown menu ... Skiptocontent Tech Blockingautoplayvideosondesktopandmobilebrowsers June22,2021March12,2022Anthony AsI’vewrittenbefore,autoplayingvideoisoneofthemostobnoxiousthingsaboutthemodernweb.It’sinsensitivetousers’needs(theymightbesomewherequiet,orlisteningtotheirownaudio/video),forone.Foranother,datacapsonmobileplansmakethispracticeparticularlybad,especiallywithlimitedwaystoblocksuchonmobiledevices.Fortunately,blockingautoplayvideoshasbecomeacommonfeaturebuiltintobrowsers,thoughtovaryingdegreesofeffectiveness.Italsotendstobemoreofafeatureofdesktopbrowsersversustheirmobilecounterparts,despitetheaforementioneddatacapproblem. Belowaresomewaysofblockingautoplayvideos.Inaddition,theuseofadblockerextensionslikeuBlockOriginandprivacyextensionslikePrivacyBadgermightalsohelp. Blockingautoplayvideosindesktopbrowsers AutoplayvideosettingsonCNN’swebsiteinFirefox.(CNN/screenshotbyauthor) Chrome TheextensionAutoplayStopperseemsthebestmeansonGoogle’sbrowser,asChromedoesn’tincludeautoplayblockingbydefault.ConsideringGooglereliesonadvertisingrevenueformostofitsincome,aswellasowningthemostpopularvideositeonline(YouTube),it’snotsurprising. Firefox Firefoxhasautoplayblockingbuiltintothebrowserbydefault.Foraspecificsiteyou’revisiting,gototheURLbaratthetopofthebrowserandclickontheiconsattheleft;you’llbeabletochoosesettingsforthatsite. DefaultbrowserautoplaysettingscanalsobeaccessedunderSettings>Privacy&Security>Permissions,under“Autoplay.” Safari LikeFirefox,Safarialsohasautoplayblocksettingsbuiltin.Forindividualsites,gotoSafari>SettingsforThisWebsite;under“Auto-Play,”you’llhavethechoicebetween“allow,”“never,”and“stopmediawithsound.” Asadefaultbrowser-widesettingforallsites,gotoSafari>Preferences>Websites>Auto-Play;atthebottomright,“Whenvisitingotherwebsites”allowsyoutochoosefromthesamesettingsasabove(never,always,andonlymediawithsound). MicrosoftEdge EdgeisnowbasedonChromium,theopensourcebasisforGoogleChromeandmostnon-Firefoxbrowsersbythispoint.Thus,itcanalsousethesameAutoplayStopperpluginmentionedaboveforChrome. Alternatively,Edgealsocanblockvideosnatively,butforsomereasonit’sburiedunderthe“flags”settingsratherthanauser-friendlyfeature.(Otherwisethedefaultsettingsonlyoffer“allow”and“limit.”) ToactivateEdge’snativeblockfeature,enterintheURLbarthefollowing: edge://flags/#edge-autoplay-user-setting-block-option Under“Showblockoptioninautoplaysettings,”select“enabled.”ThenrestartEdge. UnderSettings>CookiesandSitePermissions>MediaAutoplay>Controlifaudioandvideoautomaticallyplayonsites,thedropdownmenuoffers“block”alongwith“allow”and“limit.” Unfortunately,thissettingisanallornothingoneasfarasIcanfind.There’snowaytoindividuallyturnthisoffforasinglesite,suchasYouTube.Thus,usingtheaforementionedChromepluginmightbeabetterwaytogoforEdge. Blockingautoplayvideosinmobilebrowsers “iPhone6SlaunchRiga”byJanitorsislicensedunderCCBY2.0(Flickr/croppedfromoriginal) Unfortunately,mobilebrowserstendtobemorelockeddownthandesktopones,perthenatureofmobiledevices(andtheirappstores,etc.).Overall,iOSoffersfewerautoplayblockingfeaturesversusAndroid. Chrome There’sprettymuchnowaytoblockautoplayonthemobileversionsofChromeforAndroidoriOS.Yourbestbet’stoswitchtoanotherbrowser. Safari TurningoffautoplayinthemobileversionofSafariisn’tasstraightforward.ThebestoptioninvolvesturningoffvideopreviewsforallApple-tiedapps,includingSafari:onyouriPhoneoriPad,gotoSettings>Accessibility>Motions,thendeactivate“Auto-PlayVideoPreviews.”ItriedthisonmyiPad;itseemstoworkonCNN’swebsite. Firefox OnAndroid,turningoffautoplayworksasitdoesonthedesktopversions.GotoSettings>SitePermissions>Autoplayandadjustthesettingsaccordingly. Theredoesn’tseemtobesimilarsettingsavailableontheiOSversionasfarasIcantell.Unfortunately,theiOSversionofFirefoxalsodoesn’tsupportthird-partyplugins,sothatoption’snotavailable. Edge EdgeforiOSdoesn’tofferanautoplayblockfeature.ItdoesonAndroid,however:gotoSettings>Sitepermissions>Media>Autoplay,anddeactivateit. Conclusion Overall,forblockingautoplayvideosonthedesktop,I’dgowithanextensionifusingChromeorEdge,andthebuilt-infeaturesifusingFirefoxorSafari.OnAndroid,theoptionsareeitherswitchtoFirefoxorEdgeorputupwithitinChrome;oniOS,followtheSafariinstructionsgiven. ImagebyMohamedHassanfromPixabay RelatedpostsRecommendedGoogleservicealternatives5favoriteFirefoxextensionsHowtoblockautoplayvideosinFirefox,Chrome,andSafariHowtoblockautoplayvideosinwebbrowsers autoplayvideos,browser,Chrome,Firefox,MicrosoftEdge,Safari Postnavigation Previous:JuneteenthandtheBigFivetechcompaniesNext:July2021graphicnovelpicksandnews 3thoughtson“Blockingautoplayvideosondesktopandmobilebrowsers” WorkedlikeacharmforiOSsafari Reply Doesn’tseemtoworkanylonger.YouTubeappearstohavechangedsomethingtopreventtheblockfromworking. Reply Safari’s“neverauto-play”settingseemstobecompletelyignoredbymanywebsitesthathappilyautoplayvideoanyway. Reply LeaveaReplyCancelreply Youremailaddresswillnotbepublished.Requiredfieldsaremarked*CommentName* Email* Website Savemyname,email,andwebsiteinthisbrowserforthenexttimeIcomment. 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